Why the Winchesters? (COMPLETED)

15: Apologies

**Content within asterisks is newly added as per popular request**

I had listened to Dean's explanation in silence, and gave him a few minutes to think before I started asking questions.

"It doesn't sound like you like her, just like you owe her something."

Dean turned his head to the side to squint at me in the dimming light. "You're smart, I'll give you that. Yeah, I owe her my life a few times over, and Sammy's, too. And we owe it to her father to do everything in our power to keep her alive as long as we can." He raked a hand through his hair, making it spike like a hedgehog. "She just doesn't understand that being a Werewolf, or anything like that doesn't automatically make you a monster," he growled, suddenly defensive and angry.

I looked towards the window and said, "Whoa. It doesn't sound like we're talking about Maria anymore. Who's the 'monster' that you feel so passionately about?"

I could feel Dean's surprise, and he muttered unwillingly, "Her name was Gail. God," he complained, "Its like having two Sams."

I looked back to see his expression was half-complaining, half-teasing. "Alright," I held my hands up in a hold-on gesture. "Since when are you nice to me? Or trust me with stuff, for that matter?" My stomach growled loudly, and it sounded like a question mark.

Dean thought about it and shrugged. "We can tell who the bad guys are by looking at them, and you're not a bad guy. I just don't warm up to people quickly, like Sam does. And I like your taste in music."

**"I thought your taste in music was my face," I mumbled under my breath, but from the laugh that erupted out of Dean's chest told me otherwise. **

He grinned cheekily. "C'mon. You're gonna go down and eat something, right now."

"Why right now?" I asked.

Dean, already off the bed and halfway to the door, stopped to say, "Because I'm hungry, too, and I know for a fact that Bobby has bacon and pancake mix in his kitchen." Then he loped through the door.

I sighed and went after him, completely forgetting about what I'd said to Bobby until I hit the first floor. Then I didn't want to go to the kitchen, because I knew I'd have to face up to my mistake.

Sam poked his head around the corner and started to shout. "Andrea! Dean says to hurry- oh," he cut himself off when he saw me standing on the last step, my hand in a death-grip in the railing. "What are you doing? Dean's going to eat all the bacon if you don't hurry."

I shook my head and started to slide my right foot backwards. "I-I... I can't, Sam," I whispered, mortified. "I can't face Bobby after what I said. It was awful."

Sam stepped the rest of the way around the corner and, in another long step he'd crossed the whole landing to set his hand on top of mine on the railing. "Andrea, he knows you didn't mean whatever you said. And I guarantee you, Bobby's been called worse by Dean and I at some point."

He grabbed my other hand and gently pulled me over to the door. He almost had me around the corner, before I grabbed the doorframe and shoved myself back into the hallway. "I can't. I can't, Sam. I'm not that hungry-" My stomach complained loudly at me, contracting my statement.

Sam looked at me and furrowed his brows. "You said you wanted to be a Hunter, right?" I nodded, confused at the change in conversation. "Well," Sam continued, "Hunters can't run from things. Whether it's an angry Rougarou, or an apology. If you can't do this, now, then I'm gonna have to say no on the whole 'training you' bit."

He let go of my hand and stepped into the kitchen, greeted by a yelp of surprise from Dean and the clink of glass beer bottles. I started to back towards the stairs, but then I made myself stop and think.

If I want to be a Hunter, I have to stow the baby crap and man up. I can't be a wuss, and I have to face up to when I'm wrong. So go in there and apologize, you idiot.

I sighed and walked through the doorway to the kitchen. Sam and Dean were standing to my right, leaning against a sink/counter, and Bobby and Cas were sitting at a table in front of me, pressed up against the back wall. Bobby was looking at a book in his hands, but everyone else looked up when I stepped in.

Sam gave me a supportive smile and Dean waved a piece of bacon at me. "Andy, you want yours crispy, or what?"

Bobby jerked his head up to look at me, and his gaze softened a bit when he could see me visibly trembling. "Bobby," I started, "I'm so sorry for what I said earlier today. I didn't hear the conversation, I just assumed you were talking about me, and that was stupid. I didn't mean anything, and I was the one in the wrong. I'm sorry."

Bobby stared at me in disbelief for a few seconds, then looked at Dean and Sam. "Did she really just worry about insulting me?"

Sam shrugged. "I tried to tell her you wouldn't care."

Bobby sighed and looked back to me. "Andrea, you idjit, you were scared and pretty much alone. It wouldn't have mattered what you said, I wouldn't have put much stock in it. I was just mad at myself for not being able to explain things to you. Now," he waved his hand at Dean. "Go steal some dead pig from that live one, before he eats it all."

Dean winced. "Whoa, Bobby, low blow."

Bobby shrugged and I tentatively stepped into the kitchen, towards Dean. As I grabbed a plate that was loaded with bacon, I could tell that everything was alright for the moment.

But that's the thing about moments.

They don't last very long.